Godwin Austen Johnson mission was to create design that values its relationship with its environment

Godwin Austen Johnson

The Shaza Salalah Hotel & Resort will be located in the coastal area of Dhofar, Oman

As the Shaza Salalah Hotel & Resort in Dhofar, Oman moves into the final stages of construction, Godwin Austen Johnson reveal the vision behind the design.

“Our mission was to create a culturally appropriate architectural design that values its relationship with its environment, and our main priority when we first looked at this project was obviously to maximise the views out over the coastline to the north and the natural mangroves to the west of the resort,’ said Brian Johnson, Managing Partner at Godwin Austen Johnson. “This approach determined the orientation of the resort to ensure that all guest rooms were positioned to enjoy uninterrupted views of the ocean, mangroves or mountains in the background.”

According to Godwin Austen Johnson, they employed the same approach with the 66 villas, arranged to take advantage of the level changes and to ensure that they all enjoyed the same views of the sea, with direct access to the beach.

The Dubai-based British firm has retained a technical advisory role during the construction on site to ensure that the result stayed true to the architects’ initial vision.

“The client and the operator both shared a common vision for a contemporary property but which also acknowledged Oman’s rich cultural heritage and this was achieved by the addition of locally available materials and design elements including domes, arches, and mashrabiya screens,” said Johnson.

One of the major design features of the resort is the entrance which creates a grand sense of arrival. Driving through a domed gateway, guests are directed to either the hotel’s main entrance, to the spa or to the villas with a separate entrance for the ballrooms. Landscaped courtyards and water features open the hotel up to its environment providing clear use of landscapes as well as access to the beach.

With 286 rooms and villas as well as four restaurants, two ballrooms, two swimming pools and a spa, the resort will set a new standard in hotel design in Salalah.

For more information about the design of the Shaza Salalah Hotel & Resort, visit the Godwin Austen Johnson website.